Locking lever for canopy release



19710 J. A. GAYLORD 3,541,650

LOCKING LEVER FOR CANOPY RELEASE Filed Dec. 19, 1968 IINVENTOR.

John A. Gay/0rd 66 Attorney I Q I United States Patent O 3,541,650 LOCKING LEVER FOR CANOPY RELEASE John A. Gaylord, San Rafael, Calif., assignor to H. Koch & Sons, Inc., a division of Global Systems, a Gulf Western Company, Corte Madera, Calif.

Filed Dec. 19, 1968, Ser. No. 785,247 Int. Cl. A44b 17/25 US. Cl. 24-230 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A locking lever pivoted on the end of a flap which locks a handle bar to prevent the rocking of the rocking shaft of the canopy release from locked position; the pivoted locking lever has projections which lock into the keeper sockets in the handle bar; the exposed edge of the locking lever so located that when the person wants to lift the flap to release the handle bar, then the pull exerted on the edge of the locking lever rotates the locking lever thereby to withdraw the projections from the keeper sockets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention is an improvement on the type of canopy release shown in US. letters Pat. No. 3,183,568 granted to John A. Gaylord, assignor, on May 18, 1965, in which patent there is described a canopy release wherein the flap overlaps the handle bar to prevent the accidental pushing or displacing of the handle bar and thereby prevent accidental rocking of the rocking shaft for releasing the connection. In the canopy release the outer edge of the handle bar was knurled, but the top flap was not positively locked in position and therefore there were some accidental releasing actions. T o prevent any accidents the locking lever of this invention is pivoted in the free edge of the flap and is positively interlocked with the handle bar so that in order to raise the flap it is necessary first to rotate the locking lever so as to withdraw the interlocking elements, and thereby any accidental disengagement of the flap is positively prevented.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of the canopy release with parts broken away to show the locking lever.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the improved canopy release, the section being taken on lines 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmental cross-sectional view showing the locking lever and flap disengaged, the section being substantially on lines 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the improved canopy release, the section being taken on lines 4-4 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The general structure of the canopy release herein illustrated is substantially the same as that shown and described in the aforesaid Letters Pat. No. 3,183,568. A female strap connector 1 has in it keeper pockets 2 to receive prongs 3 of a male strap connector 5. Each strap connector is adapted to be suitably attached to a strap.

The prongs 3 are locked in the pockets 2 by a rocking shaft 6, suitable recesses of which register with the pockets to permit the insertion of the prongs 3, and then by turning the rocking shaft to engage recesses in the prongs, as shown in detail in said patent, the connection is interlocked.

The rocking shaft is manipulated by a handle bar 7 connected to the rocking shaft by arms 8 so that the handle bar 7 can be turned into and out of prong locking position.

A locking flap 9 is pivoted on the female connector 1 on a pivot 10 spaced from but parallel with the pivot of the handle bar 7 so that the free end 12 of the flap 9 assumes a position adjacent or over the handle bar 7. On the free end 12 of the locking flap 9 are spaced bearing lugs 13 in which is a cross shaft 14. Between the lugs 13 and on the pivot shaft 14 is the hub 15 of the locking lever formed with a pair of spaced claws 16, the points 17 of which latter are capable of engaging keeper sockets 18 in a flat face 19 of the handle bar 7. A suitable spring 20 urges the hub 15 of the locking lever into the locking position shown in FIG. 2.

In operation the female and male connectors are interlocked as shown in FIG. 2, and the handle bar 7 is locked in the shaft locking position by the overlapping flap 9 and by the engagement of the claws 16 with the keeper sockets 18 in the handle bar 7.

In order to release the connectors from one another the operator must engage the hub 15 of the rocking lever and turn it around its pivot so as to withdraw the points 17 of the claws 16 from the keeper sockets 18, and then by continued pull lift the flap away from the handle bar 7; thereafter by pressing the handle bar 7 away from the flap 9 into the position shown in FIG. 3 the rocking shaft 6 is disengaged from the prongs 3.

I claim:

1. In a canopy release comprising,

a female strap connector frame,

a male strap connector frame,

keeper pockets in the female frame,

connector prongs extended from the male frame and insertable into said keeper pockets,

a rocking shaft journalled in the female frame and intersecting said keeper pockets,

portions of said shaft and prongs registering with said pockets and interlocking with one another, manipulable means for rocking said rocking shaft to disengage said interlocking portions, including a handle bar parallel with said rocking shaft,

arms extended from the handle bar and connected to said shaft for rocking said shaft as the handle bar is moved relatively to said female connector frame, the improvement of a locking flap pivoted on the female connector parallel with the handle bar, a locking lever pivoted on the free end of the locking flap adjacent an edge of the handle bar, interlocking elements on said locking lever and on said edge of said handle bar, being releasable by turning the locking lever about its pivot as the locking lever is pulled away from said handle bar.

2. The invention defined in claim '1 and said interlocking elements being respectively interfitting projections and sockets.

3. The invention defined in claim 1 and spring means to urge said locking lever into position for interlocking said interlocking elements. 4. The invention defined in claim 1 and said locking lever being located on the free end of said locking flange and being formed with an inclined corner whereby the engagement of the locking lever for lifting the locking flap exerts a force for turning said locking lever about its pivot before said locking flap is raised. 5. The invention defined in claim 1 and said interlocking elements consisting of spaced books on the locking lever fitting into registering spaced sockets in said handle bar.

3,133,330 5/1964 Parr. 3,330,014 7/1967 Gaylord.

BERNARD A. GELAK, Primary Examiner 

